| eHarmony.com sued for excluding homosexuals
LOS ANGELES, Calif. A Los Angeles woman has sued the popular online dating site eHarmony.com, claiming she was discriminated against based on her sexual orientation when the Web site refused to pair her with another woman. eHarmony was founded in 2000 by Neil Clark Warren, an evangelical with ties to Focus on the Family, and it has grown to more than 12 million registered users, according to Reuters. The lawyer for the woman, Linda Carlson, said the lawsuit was "about changing the landscape and making a statement out there that gay people, just like heterosexuals, have the right and desire to meet other people with whom they can fall in love." Carlson is urging fellow homosexuals to join the class action lawsuit geared toward forcing eHarmony to change its policy.
Three matchmakers try to help, but Mr. Wrong leads her to Mr. Wow
Lisa Ronis is sitting in a coffee shop with her French hound, Stella, leaving a sparkling message: "I've found the man for you. His name is John. He's hilarious, sexy, and I've given him your number. Let's chat!" For most people this would be a social call, but Ronis is hard at work. She is a professional matchmaker, a member of a booming nationwide industry. There are more than 1,000 private matchmakers in the United States today, according to Marketdata Enterprises, a research group in Florida. And there's even a school to train them: The Matchmaking Institute in New York City molds novice meddlers into professional love brokers. "It's all about efficiency," says Rachel Greenwald, a professional matchmaker in Colorado. "If, say, you're a busy executive, a third-party setup saves you the time it takes to slog through all the dating arenas — spending hours at a crowded party only to go home having met no one." Since it's one thing to hear about the wonders of matchmaking from those who sell the service and quite another to experience it yourself, I decided to test the viability of this venerable institution by asking three matchmakers to work their magic on me.
DANGER LURKS IN TEEN DATING GAME
New York's teen dating scene is a harsh reality of abusive 11-year-olds, 15-year-old rapists, beatings with broomsticks, and girls forced into cocaine addiction at 16. City officials and parents were shocked and appalled last week by findings in the city Health Department's Teen Safety Report. The study gave a disturbing insight into New York's teenage dating violence, which has spiked by 40 percent since 1999. One out of 10 girls at New York high schools have been forced into sex, with reported rapes increasing by 34 percent. One in 10 New York teens have experienced physical violence at the hands of a partner, the study of 8,000 students from grades 9 to 12 found. "In public schools, the violence is way more up-front," said 17-year-old Alex Unger, a senior from an uptown school.
Pairing up: Couples now seek friends online
Chalnick, 33, had the idea for the Web site in 2004, after he and his wife moved from Manhattan to Rockland County in upstate New York. We bought a huge house and realized all our friends were in Manhattan, he said. Both he and his wife worked full-time, each commuting 90 minutes each day, and had no time to meet couples in their new neighborhood. Couplets.com currently has more than 2,000 members in the United States. Sheila Zamel, founder of Couplesworldwide.com, started in much the same way. She remarried and moved from South Africa to Calabasas, Calif. She and her husband were in their 40s and wanted to meet new couples, but they found it surprisingly difficult. Im very active, Zamel said. But its very hard to have time to go out and meet people, and where do you go to meet people? After months of research, Zamel launched Couplesworldwide.com in November 2006.
British Dating Site Focuses on Sexless Relationships
For anyone looking for sex, the Internet is often the first stop, with its array of dating sites and chat rooms devoted to the subject. It is probably the last place that those seeking a celibate relationship would consider looking. However, an online dating agency has been launched for those seeking intimacy without intercourse. Platonicpartners.co.uk says that it will help the silent minority of adults seeking "celibate, platonic, non-physical or partly physical relationships" and help them to find a mate. - Click here for FOXNews.com's Personal Technology Center. The site was founded by Susie King, a former life coach, who was moved to set up the forum after a close friend attempted suicide because of his sexual impotence.
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